Originally Posted by
flammenwurfer
So, you say I should use loose bearings? Does that mean just bearings alone, and not ones that are in a plastic clip/holder thing like in this picture? If they aren't in a clip, how would I get them in there when I put everything back together without them going all over the place?
When I do put the bearings back in, is this grease ok to use? Or is there a specific kind you are supposed to use?
And here's a pic of the bike now with almost everything taken off.
You're doing fine! The "simple but effective" rope bike stand shows initiative. Lithium grease will be OK. If I'm leaving the right hand cup in the frame I normally poke a thick bed of grease through the spindle hole with my finger and rotate the finger to spread it evenly around the inside of the cup. Then insert the bearings (balls) one at a time in the same way, all the way around and push them down into the grease. Spread a large dollop of grease all the way around the bearing face (raised collar) on that side of the spindle and push it in from the other side so the spindle emerges from the hole in the right hand cup.
Take the left hand cup and again fill it with a thick ring of grease and embed the balls in this all the way around. spread another layer of grease over the top of the balls and grease the cup threads. Put the hole in the cup over the left end of the spindle and carefully screw it into the frame. Put on the lock ring and adjust as described in previous posts. Wipe any spare grease off the ends of the spindles and outsides of the cups - and you're done!